Ferris Wheel
by Katia Earley
Summary: AU!Klaine meeting. Rachel convinces Finn and Kurt to go to the carnival. While there she gets them to go on the Ferris Wheel. However, in order to go on, each cart needs two people. Who will come along to ride with Kurt?


**AN: Another plot bunny that wouldn't go away. I wrote this really quick and it probably sucks. But I really just wanted to post it. Thanks for reading this and all my other stories. Please, please, please review them all! I really would appreciate feedback. Even if it is to tell me that I am a horrible writer and should never write anything ever again. Those reviews help me improve. Hope you like this! :]**

If there was one thought on his mind right now, it was this: he was going to kill Rachel Berry.

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It all started when Rachel had the bright idea to go to the annual Columbus carnival two hours away. It wasn't that big of a deal to get Finn to come, all she had to do was mention the different types of carnival foods and rides that would be there. Kurt, however, was a different story.

"Please Kurt, come with me and Finn. It will be fun. There is so much to do there! Please?" Rachel asked as she helped him retrieve his afternoon books in between fourth and fifth period.

"No, Rachel. I don't like carnivals. I am sure that you and Finn will have a wonderful time together. You don't need me to tag along." He replied, as he looked into the mirror hanging on his locker door. From its reflection, he saw the determined look in his friend's eyes.

"Come on Kurt, please? I will never ask you for anything ever again! I just want you to have some fun in your life." She said, looking at him with a desperate expression.

It wasn't that he didn't want to spend time with Rachel and Finn, it was just that since he was a child, he had never been fond of carnivals. It was too loud and crowded, people running the array of booths found there conning you into buying into whatever their booths were advertising, rides that made you sick to your stomach and fear for you safety, food that was caked in way too much grease that you would be able to feel your arteries clog just looking at it- these things really put Kurt off. However, the main reason for Kurt's aversion to carnivals had to do with the fact that it was the last place he was able to go with parents together before his mother got so sick that she was too weak to go anywhere. He hasn't been to once since.

Knowing how persistent the girl can be, and how much she would keep asking, Kurt had no choice but to bend to her will and accompany her to the carnival. "Okay," Kurt said, slamming the locker errantly. "I will go with you guys. But don't expect me to enjoy myself."

Rachel's face broke into a large smile and squealed. "Thank you, Kurt! And don't be so pessimistic, you might actually have a wonderful time." Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Okay, whatever. I'm going to hug you now because I'm so happy that you agreed." Without waiting for a reply, she threw her lean arms around Kurt's middle, leaned in and held on for two seconds, and then walked away with an extra bounce to her step.

As Kurt saw her disappear, he couldn't help but feel like he signed a death warrant or something equally horrible.

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It didn't really take that long for Kurt to feel like the third-wheel. The two hours that it took to get from Lima to Columbus felt like it dragged on forever, what with Rachel singing along to her "Travelling" playlist (which more than definitely had every Barbra Streisand song ever). And both Finn and her were so lovey-dovey together that Kurt was stuck with the feeling of wanting to throw up or getting a cavity due to the utter sweetness of it all. It didn't get any better once they arrived and roamed the carnival, in fact, it got worse.

As he watched Finn and Rachel go booth to booth, Kurt couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have a boyfriend. To have someone who would buy cotton candy and pester him until he had a piece- a piece that he would mock-grudgingly eat just so he could see a bright smile of achievement spread on the other boy's face. To be with someone he could walk hand in hand with without having to fear about being judged and ridiculed. To have someone spend fifteen dollars to knock down a bunch of milk cans just to win a huge, creepy looking monkey that he would later put on his bed and cuddle with at night, replaying the wonderful time he shared with a boy he was so utterly in love with in his dreams. To be able to kiss chastely under the dangling firefly-like lights, basking in the heady feeling of being young and in love.

Kurt's heart ached with the same yearning he had felt ever since he first discovered he was gay. It made him think about the conversation he had with his dad when he decided not to sing a duet with Sam.

_Why can't I walk hand-in-hand with a person that I like? _

_Why can't I slow dance at my prom?_

Kurt shook his head to get rid of that line of thought. He knew that if he moped even a bit, Rachel would be able to tell and then start asking him questions. It's not that he didn't appreciate her concern, it's just one of those things that could be good at times when he wants someone there and bad when he wants to be left alone. Ever since they become good friends, it seemed as though she had suddenly become more attuned to his feelings than he was himself. Rachel says that it was part of her psychic ability, but somehow, Kurt really doubted that.

Seeing Finn and Rachel coming towards him, Kurt put a smile on his face. "So where to next?" He asked, putting as much pep to his voice as he could without overdoing it.

Rachel smiled widely as she remarked, "We are going on the ferris wheel. It's not a visit to the carnival if you don't go on the ferris wheel."

"Rachel, can I sit this one out? I really don't feel like going." Kurt said, scrunching his face up in disgust. He hated the ferris wheel. It took forever to finish, and it was a completely safety hazard.

Looking at Rachel's face, he knew that it really didn't matter what his opinion was. He was proven correct when she put her hands on her hips in annoyance. "Kurt, you didn't come on any of the rides. You are going on that ferris wheel with us, and you are going to enjoy it!"

With that said, she linked her arm through his and maneuvered them towards the ferris wheel line.

They waited patiently, or mostly patiently in Rachel's case, before it was their turn to sit on it. Finn and Rachel hopped onto the cart that stopped on the ground, and then were moved up one so Kurt would be able to sit in the next one.

Unfortunately, there was a slight problem when Kurt went to sit inside the hideous green monstrosity of a ride. "Kid, where's your partner?" The man in charge of the ferris wheel asked.

"Excuse me?" Kurt asked, his eyebrows scrunching up in confusion.

The man shook his head, "Each cart has to have two people," He said, pointing his finger towards a small sign that he hadn't seen before when he was waiting in line.

Kurt was taken aback. "Couldn't you make an exception this time? There's no one in line to go on this ride with me." He said angrily.

"No can do, kid. It's the rules," The man replied.

This was stupid, thought Kurt. He tried to get up. "Well then, I guess I'll just-"

"Don't you dare, Kurt! You are coming on this ride with us!" He turned around and looked up, seeing Rachel's blazing expression.

"Rach, what do you expect me to do? I can't go on this stupid ride without someone riding with me!" He yelled towards her.

"I don't care. You are staying put or so help me god. Mister, why don't you find someone for him." Rachel suggested to the man running the ride.

A wicked smirk appeared on the man's face, making the inside of Kurt's stomach churn. I really have a bad feeling about this, he thought, suddenly very afraid of whatever was going through that man's mind to make him smirk like that.

"STEP ON UP. SINGLE HERE. TAKE A RIDE ON THE FERRIS WHEEL. WE NEED SOMEONE TO SIT WITH THIS YOUNG MAN. ANY TAKERS? SINGLE HERE. SINGLE HERE." The man's voice projected loudly and clearly, making many heads nearby for other rides turn towards him.

Kurt could not believe this was happening, right now, to him. There was a whooshing noise in his ears, his heartbeat was pounding harshly against his chest, he felt completely overheated in the cool, spring night, and his face and neck were flushed with red splotches.

_Oh my god, oh my god, oh my GOD! Somebody please shoot me. _Kurt raised his hands to cover his face, desperately hoping that this was just some elaborate hallucination that his mind had conjured up due to all the intensely bright lights that hung over the carnival. Please let him still be waiting for Finn and Rachel to get off whatever ride they were on. Peeking through his fingers, he saw the man point towards him enthusiastically, still shouting for all to hear.

_Single, single, single…_

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And that was why he was going to kill Rachel Berry. Kurt didn't know how or when, but he did know that he will kill her nice and slow, and take great pleasure in ripping her piece by piece.

_I cannot believe this is happening. What did I do to deserve this? This is beyond cruel, why would-_

"This seat isn't taken I guess?" A voice broke through his internal monologue.

Dropping his hands, he raised his eyes to meet the person the voice belonged to. And then he gulped.

There was no other way to describe him, this boy was ridiculously gorgeous. The boy was shorter than him, Kurt noticed, with olive-colored skin and had dark hair that had a bit too much jel in it. However, the night air made it curl a bit near his ears making Kurt realize that the boy probably had a reason for using so much. But what really took Kurt's breath away was the boy's eyes. They were the perfect blend of of brown, green and gold, and so bright and filled with warmth that Kurt felt tingly all over.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm sure everyone has heard it by now." Kurt said, glaring at the stupid man who now looked overly pleased with himself.

"I got you someone, didn't I?" He said, moving to the side to allow the other boy to sit in the cart.

The boy laughed, and made his way to sit next him. "I'm Blaine," the boy, Blaine, said reaching out his hand to shake his.

"Kurt," He replied back.

"Okay, okay, kid. I need to make sure the bar's secure." The man pushed the metal bar down and wiggled it, making sure it was tight. "You would need to scoot closer," He said to Blaine, who adjusted himself accordingly.

Kurt couldn't help but become hyperaware that Blaine's knee was practically touching his. He couldn't help but grin. This was probably the first time in his whole life that a boy was willingly sitting close to him without making any crude comments attacking his sexuality.

And just like that, his good mood vanished. What if Blaine was just being friendly because he wanted to help someone out? What if he was just like all those jocks at school that tossed him into the dumpster, shoved him into the lockers, call him derogatory names, and threw slushies at him?

Kurt was so preoccupied in his thoughts that he was vaguely aware that the ferris wheel was moving. It wasn't until he heard a sharp intake of breath did he turn to look at his companion. "Are you okay?" He asked, as he saw the deathlike grip Blaine had on the metal bar in front of them.

"This is going to sound really, really dumb, and make me seem very, very stupid. But, I'm deathly afraid of heights." Blaine replied, a slight quiver in his voice. "Also, please no short jokes. I've heard enough of them from my older brother and my friends."

Looking at Blaine, who looked like he was trying to not pass out, Kurt couldn't help but ask, "Then why did you volunteer to come on this ride with me?"

Kurt had never seen someone turn red so quickly before.

"I, well, the thing is, um-" Blaine spluttered, trying to find the right words. He exhaled slowly, and tried to explain again. "I tend to do things without thinking them through. When I saw you here, looking so humiliated as the guy kept yelling, I had to do something to make him stop. No one should go through that."

"So," Kurt said slowly. "You decided to save some random guy from embarrassment? What do you expect in return?" He couldn't help but wince internally a bit as Blaine's face fell. This came out a lot harsher than Kurt wanted it to.

"I don't want anything in return. I just," Blaine seemed to hesitate. "You're gay right?"

Of course, here it comes, Kurt thought sourly. "Yes. Yes I am. Do you have a problem with that?"

Blaine shook his head violently. "No, I don't. I'm gay too."

"What?" Kurt asked in surprise. _No freaking way!_

"Yeah, I am. And that is kind of the reason why I came on this ride. I saw this really beautiful boy who needed someone to ride with, and I had to take the chance if it meant I could get to talk to him. Unfortunately, I forgot that I really don't like heights." Blaine replied, trying to make things light with a little bit of humor.

Unfortunately for him, Kurt didn't respond. He was too shocked by the entire confession. It took a minute for him to fully comprehend what Blaine admitted. And when he did, he couldn't help but sound awestruck, "You think I'm beautiful?"

It was now Blaine who looked at Kurt in shock. "Of course, I do. You have very pretty eyes." Blaine said softly.

Warmth spread through his body at that. "I think you have very pretty eyes, too." Kurt replied back shyly. And with that, Kurt took both of Blaine's hands off the metal bar and held them in his own, rubbing them comfortingly.

No other words were said, but that didn't mean there weren't side glances and small smiles exchanged.

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All too soon, in Kurt's opinion, the ride had ended. When the man came to lift the metal bar, he raised his eyebrows suggestively when he saw that he and Blaine had their hands held. Kurt however, just ignored him.

He walked ahead of Blaine, trying to process everything and also, giving Blaine the chance to just leave. Kurt gave a mental cheer when he felt Blaine walking beside him.

"Kurt!" Rachel called out as the two of them approached her and Finn. Rachel kept looking between him and Blaine, and looked at Kurt expectantly. Surprisingly, so was Finn, which was so weird. But Kurt figured Finn was just being brotherly. Kurt knew he couldn't avoid the inevitable, he just sincerely hoped that Blaine would be able to survive it.

"Rachel, Finn, this is Blaine. Blaine, this is my step-brother Finn and his girlfriend, Rachel." Kurt said, trying really hard to not make this more awkward than it needed to be.

"It was so nice of you to give Kurt company on the ferris wheel, Blaine." Rachel said.

"It was no problem," Blaine said, looking quickly at Kurt before turning back to her.

"Yeah, bro, that was alright of you. You aren't homophobic are you, because I would have to hurt you otherwise." Finn threatened. Kurt wanted to face-palm so badly, or throttle Finn. He wasn't sure which one he wanted to do more.

Blaine took a slight step behind Kurt, eyes widening and getting pale. "No, of course not. I'm gay myself." He said, putting his hands up in surrender.

"Oh," Finn said abruptly, making the conversation awkward.

Rachel, however, made it all the the more so. "Are you? That is so interesting, isn't that interesting Kurt?" Rachel asked him. "Do you have a boyfriend, Blaine?"

"Rachel!" Kurt yelped, wishing once again, he could kill her.

"No, I've never been anyone's boyfriend before." Blaine replied, looking slightly sheepish. "But, that could change, maybe, possibly. Hopefully." He said this last part very, very softly, that Kurt wasn't sure if he heard correctly or if he was imagining it. It wouldn't be the first time he built something all up in his mind, when in fact there was nothing there.

(See "Finn Debacle".)

Kurt really hoped that was the end of Rachel's questions, but unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), it wasn't. "So Blaine, we were going to go grab something to eat. Would you like to come with us?" Rachel asked sweetly, not being subtle at all.

Kurt looked at her like he wanted to strangle her. "Rachel, Blaine may have other plans. For all we know he probably has to meet up with his friends."

"Actually," Blaine said shyly, "I came here by myself and didn't have other plans. I would like to come if the offer still stands?" He turned to look at Kurt with his big, beautiful, brown eyes filled with hope.

Kurt's breath got caught in his throat. Those eyes are too damn pretty, he thought wistfully. "Yeah," Kurt finally said after a little cough to cover the fact that he was staring at the gorgeous boy, "It stands."

The two of them looked intently at each with small smiles. It felt like an eternity, but in reality probably a second, before Rachel decided to break their staring contest. "Well that's settled then. Yay! Come on guys." She said leading the way with Finn at her arm.

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As he walked alongside Blaine, Kurt couldn't help but think that maybe his previous conclusion about carnivals was too rash. Maybe he could come to like going to carnivals.

And maybe, as he felt Blaine's hand discretely reach out to his own to hold, he wouldn't kill Rachel Berry after all.


End file.
